Mohamed Salah has achieved his childhood ambition of becoming a Liverpool legend. The 33-year-old forward announced his departure from the club at the end of the season after joining from Roma in a £37 million transfer in 2017. In 435 appearances, he has scored 255 goals and lifted seven major trophies.
Salah’s Dream Upon Joining Liverpool
Ahead of his Premier League debut against Watford nine years ago, the Egyptian star shared his excitement. “It is a great club. It was a dream for me when I was young to play here one day,” Salah stated. “When I had the chance to come, I was thinking about whether I should stay in Rome or move here but because when I was young, it was a dream to me, I took the decision to come back.”
He added: “I would play as Liverpool on the PlayStation so I am happy to be here now. I was playing with a team like Steven Gerrard, Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher. I liked the team and the way they were playing. I was seven or eight years old so I was playing just to enjoy myself.”
Salah continued: “I’m always looking for where I can improve myself so here, because of the city, because of the fans, you can feel the emotions and everyone wants to win something. Everyone is happy for me and I can feel that, even in the friendly games. I am very happy to be here and I would like to help the team so I am very excited to start in the Premier League games and I think we can win something this year together.”
Teammate Recalls Salah’s Ambition
During the 2014/15 season at Fiorentina, where Salah and former Manchester City right-back Micah Richards were teammates, the forward confided his goals. The team finished fourth and qualified for the Europa League.
Richards reflected in 2023: “It was always Mo Salah’s dream to be a Liverpool legend. I played with him at Fiorentina and when we used to go out for coffee, he talked about his ambition to move to Anfield eventually.”
He noted: “I knew when Liverpool signed him in 2017 they had a superstar in the making, but even I’ve been stunned by the number of goals he has scored. He needs four more to leapfrog Steven Gerrard (186) and get into the club’s all-time top five. Don’t bet against him doing it by the end of the season.”
Salah’s Enduring Legacy
Salah now ranks as Liverpool’s third-highest goalscorer of all time, behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt. He has won every major trophy available in England. With a maximum of 15 matches left in a Liverpool shirt—seven in the Premier League, up to three in the FA Cup, and five in the Champions League—he has at least 10 guaranteed fixtures after the international break.
Liverpool faces Manchester City in an away FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday, April 4.
